increased their risk of having a stroke by a factor of 2.2

The dangers of smoking have recently been highlighted following the death of the legendary actor Paul Newman from lung cancer at the age of 83. Paul, who only gave up smoking in his fifties passed away from this horrible disease despite receiving the best treatment from the Weill Cornell Medical Centre based in New York.

The statistics show that 90% of people with lung cancer are either smokers or have been smokers at some time in their lives. When Paul Newman was at his acting prime it was considered fashionable to smoke and he often lit up in movies. There is a very strong movement in Hollywood today to ban smoking in films because it can lead to impressionable young teenagers to start the habit.

One thing for certain is that Paul Newman would not have made it to the age of 83 if he had continue to smoke and recent research done by the American Heart Association has come up with some interesting findings regarding the smoking habit. For example the AMA said that people who smoke double their chances of having a stroke when compared to people who do not smoke and that there was a direct correlation between smoking and stroke risk. From examination of the figures and clinical analysis of women between the ages of fifteen and 49 it was seen that those who smoked between one and ten cigarettes daily increased their risk of having a stroke by a factor of 2.2.

The other thing to note is that when people quit smoking the chances of having a stroke drop quickly and after five years of being smoke free the risk of having a stroke is identical to those who never smoked. Another interesting smoking fact is that those individuals who quit smoking before they reach the age of 35 are expected to have the same life expectancy as people who have never smoked.

Paul Newman as well as being a talented movie star gave millions of dollars to charity and helped countless charities worldwide. It is a sad loss not only to Hollywood but also to the thousands of people who benefited from his generosity and the sadness is made even more poignant by the fact that his death could have been prevented for many years to come. He could have also died a far more peaceful and painless death if he had never smoked.